Forbes: The Season's Most Disappointing NHL Teams

Washington Capitals/Buffalo Sabres

It is all but certain that one of these teams will miss the cut, though fans of both should be disappointed that their teams couldn’t clinch a spot weeks ago. Each spent over $65 million on payroll costs, placing them among the league’s three highest-spending teams (the Philadelphia Flyers are first, with a $67 million payroll). The Capitals have been perennial playoff busts, but they were once again Stanley Cup favorites until it became apparent that star Alex Ovechkin was having a down year. The Sabres were one of the biggest spenders before the season, signing new contracts with Christian Ehrhoff (10-year, $40 million), Ville Leino (6-year, $27 million) and Drew Stafford (4-year, $16 million). Neither of the forwards has reached 50 points this season, and Ehrhoff has a -2 +/- rating and just five goals (he scored 14 in each of the last two seasons). A deep playoff run by either team will alleviate the ails of its fans, but it doesn’t change the fact that this season fell far below expectations for both.

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The Season's Mos...Fans of the 14 teams that missed the postseason will feel the bitter disappointment of watching the playoffs from the outside, but some had higher expectations than others. For instance, the New York Islanders are among the league’s worst teams, but they also have the lowest player expenses and are in the midst of a long-term team rebuild. These are the teams that had high expectations and expenditures, but failed to make the cut when it counted.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Tampa Bay Lightn...The Lightning had an incredible playoff run last year: they first came back from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the Penguins, and then swept the division-rival Capitals before finally losing a thrilling seven-game series to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. Many expected that superstar Steven Stamkos would continue to improve this year, and that Tampa was one of the teams to beat in the East. Stamkos held up his end of the bargain, scoring a league-leading 58 goals, but the Lightning stumbled. Despite ranking among the top-15 in player spending, Tampa may not even be able to crack the top-three teams in the Southeast, the league’s worst division.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Calgary FlamesTeam captain Jarome Iginla has been with Calgary since 1996, his rookie season, and has since put together a Hall of Fame career. Despite his success, the Flames have been to the playoffs just five times in those years. Calgary has the fifth-highest payroll in the league, but will now spend a third consecutive postseason at home. Iginla has been quiet about his future, but the aging star may look to join another team if it gives him a better chance at hoisting the Cup. Watching Iginla finish his career elsewhere would probably be the biggest disappointment that Flames fans have ever faced.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Toronto Maple Le...Same story, different season. Toronto fans watched as another promising Leafs team took off out of the gate, only to falter through the heart of the season and finish well out of playoff contention. It’s not for lack of spending, either. The Leafs are the league’s most valuable team, and their $63.5 million in player expenses is eighth-most in the league. This year’s disappointment cost head coach Ron Wilson his job in March, though management deserves some blame for idly watching as the goaltending duo of Jonas Gustavsson and James Reimer proved itself as the league’s worst.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Montreal Canadia...What happened? Last year, Monteal put on one of the most exciting playoff rounds in recent memory. They took the powerhouse Bruins all the way to seven games, three of which went to overtime. The Habs poured over $62 million into player expenses this season (they rank ninth behind Toronto), and they were lined up for a fifth consecutive trip to the postseason. Instead, Montreal will likely finish dead last in the East. Scott Gomez was paid $7.5 million this season and scored a total of two goals, which amounts to a pleasant surprise in Montreal these days.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Anaheim DucksAnaheim has gone to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, including a Stanley Cup win in 2007. Teemu Selanne, who turns 42 this summer, showed that he still has plenty juice left in the battery, and he joins one of the league’s most dangerous collections of offensive firepower with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. That’s why Ducks fans were left scratching their heads as the team won just seven of its first 25 games, eventually piecing together a pedestrian 33-35-12 record with two games left to play. Selanne may leave the team soon, and there’s no telling if the Ducks will be able to bounce back next season.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Washington Capit...It is all but certain that one of these teams will miss the cut, though fans of both should be disappointed that their teams couldn’t clinch a spot weeks ago. Each spent over $65 million on payroll costs, placing them among the league’s three highest-spending teams (the Philadelphia Flyers are first, with a $67 million payroll). The Capitals have been perennial playoff busts, but they were once again Stanley Cup favorites until it became apparent that star Alex Ovechkin was having a down year. The Sabres were one of the biggest spenders before the season, signing new contracts with Christian Ehrhoff (10-year, $40 million), Ville Leino (6-year, $27 million) and Drew Stafford (4-year, $16 million). Neither of the forwards has reached 50 points this season, and Ehrhoff has a -2 +/- rating and just five goals (he scored 14 in each of the last two seasons). A deep playoff run by either team will alleviate the ails of its fans, but it doesn’t change the fact that this season fell far below expectations for both.